Contract Management Opportunities

 About the Commercial Team – People Services

The Commercial Team - People Services is responsible for the procurement and Contract Management of over 600 individual contracts. Its extensive work programme covers Adult Social Care and Public Health Services. The combined annual spend of this activity is circa. £250 million, and our work programme includes a very diverse range of Procurement, Contract Management and Market Development projects. The team is responsible for ensuring contracts are commissioned, procured, and managed effectively, at the same time ensuring a safe, effective, and positive service is delivered to the most vulnerable people in Lincolnshire. 

The team offers a friendly and welcoming environment, with excellent managerial and peer support, and frequent opportunities for training and development. New starters are offered a comprehensive induction programme and mentoring opportunities are available. The team has successfully embraced the Smarter Working Policy and operates on a mixture of home and office-based working, embracing a healthy work/life balance. The team’s nominal work location is on the main County Council campus in the heart of the historic Lincoln city centre, just a stone’s throw from the renowned leisure attractions of Brayford Waterfront.

We have the following opportunities available:

• Contract Officer, 2 x full-time, permanent positions
• Senior Contract Officer, 2 x full-time, permanent positions

About the Contract Officer roles

These roles sit within the Contract Management Team, part of the wider Commercial Team – People Services. You will be responsible for a portfolio of adult social care providers, requiring you to visit services across Lincolnshire, offering support, challenge, and guidance to ensure safe and effective services in place and that they are compliant with the Council’s commercial arrangements.

You will routinely assess services, utilise data and intelligence in the determination of risk.  Where services fall short of expectations you will develop and monitor improvement plans to drive up the quality-of-care provision in the county.

To be effective in these roles you will:

• Be driven by positive service user outcomes and continuous improvement of services
• Be confident, dynamic and resilient with a passion for social care
• Have experience of Contract Management and be able to provider equal measures of support and challenge
• Have experience in health and social care, although we will consider transferable skills and experience from other sectors
• Have a keen eye of detail
• Be able to deliver a relationship focussed approach to Contract Management across a wide variety of services and partners

Appointment to these roles will be offered at a starting salary of £33,024.

About the Senior Contract Officer roles

These roles sit within the Contract Management Team, part of the wider Commercial Team – People Services.  We are looking for one individual who has the skills, knowledge and expertise to support our portfolio of strategic contracts (Carers Support Service, Integrated Lifestyle Service, Dementia Support Services etc), and one who can focus on our core adult social care contracts (residential, homecare and community supported living).

To be effective in these roles you will:

• Be driven by positive service user outcomes and continuous improvement of services
• Be able to deliver a relationship focussed approach to Contract Management across a wide variety of services and partners
• Have skills to support, challenge and advocate
• Be educated to degree level or hold an equivalent professional qualification/relevant experience
• Be an effective communicator, demonstrating excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Be proficient in data analysis to effectively evaluate performance and service intelligence
• Be able to work independently, make decisions and identify and escalate risk
• Be forward thinking and keen to embed new ways of thinking and working into services
• Be commercially aware

Appointment to these roles will be offered at a starting salary of £40,221.

Working for Lincolnshire County Council

Our comprehensive range of additional benefits for all posts includes:-

• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, widely recognised as one of the leading contributory pension schemes on the market
• Annual leave entitlement of 28 days (increased after 5 years’ continuous local government service), together with Bank Holidays and the option to purchase additional leave
• Varied local and national discount schemes, plus cycle to work and green car leasing initiatives
• ‘Smarter Working’ - flexible working patterns encompassing home and office-based working, and flexi-time
• Comprehensive wellbeing offer for all staff, including dedicated occupational health support
• Professional support, learning and development, with internal and external training opportunities

Further details can be found in our rewards and benefits brochure.

We think Lincolnshire is a fantastic place to live and work, offering everything from historic cities through scenic countryside and market towns, to miles of wide coastal beaches, For more about the many benefits of living and working in Lincolnshire, please check out Health and Social Care Careers in Lincolnshire | Be in Lincolnshire

Next Steps

If you'd like to know more about these fantastic opportunities, please contact Rachel West at rachel.west@lincolnshire.gov.uk in the first instance. 

Closing Date: Sunday 10th March

Interviews: 18th March (Contract Officers) 22nd March (Senior Contract Officers)

A Smarter Working Employer

We have embraced new ways of working and hybrid working will be a feature of this role. You will be given a nominated contractual work base and you will be required to commute to this work base when necessary.  Working arrangements regarding hybrid working will be discussed as part of the appointment process.

Our technology platform and equipment is very good enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We require that you have in place good connectivity, and we will discuss during the recruitment process if support with this is needed.

Please be advised that this position may be subject to a criminal record check.

All candidates are advised to read the attached job information pack prior to making an application.

On occasion we receive significantly more applications than expected for some vacancies and under such circumstances we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the advertisement. We therefore strongly advise you to apply for the role promptly to avoid disappointment should the closing date be brought forward. 

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.

Lincolnshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.